A Brief History

The project entails repairing the building at 335 Maplewood Ave in a manner that meets both preservation and sustainability goals. The building is the new location for Petersen Engineering, a firm that has been located in Portsmouth since 1992, and specializes in sustainable building engineering. We intend for this project to showcase techniques & materials that promote both preservation and sustainability and intend to share all aspects of the project locally and regionally through open houses, presentations, industry tradeshows, case studies and publications. We foresee this project being a valuable educational tool to demonstrate that preservation goals need not be compromised by sustainability goals. We have teamed with Bruss Construction who we know from past collaborations has exceptional experience and expertise on projects with the dual goal of preservation and sustainability.

The project received approval by the Historic District Commission on January 6, 2010 with construction scheduled to begin early February 2010.

The projected peak heat loss reduction is 85%.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Ahhh Yessssss.... Below Slab Insulation

The site structures crew is scrambling to finish the basement prep-work in time for the concrete truck that will be here at 7 AM tomorrow morning to pour the slab. They in the process of finishing up laying down the below slab insulation and are starting to tack the slab edge insulation into place. Once all of the insulation is in place, they are going to roll out a thick yellow vapor barrier and tape the seams which will create a neat and tightly bathtub for the concrete to be poured into. (below slab insulation walk through TODAY)

(It was only 2 weeks ago it looked like this...)

(laying down layer of geotextile fabric 2 weeks ago)

(the crushed stone being conveyer belted into the basement 2 weeks ago)

I just learned how to convert videos from my Sony camera (somebody took my Flip camera) into the correct format for uploads :)

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About Me

While studying Architecture as an undergrad, Ryan excelled in both design and engineering related course work. He thoroughly enjoyed the juxtaposition of calculations associated with designing an energy efficient building and its form, shape and order. His passion for building science and building enclosure design was fully discovered and expedited by his Sustainable Design classes and attendance of the NESEA, Efficiency Vermont, & Build Boston conferences.
At Petersen Engineering, Ryan has continued to pursue his interest in high performance buildings working as an HVAC & Plumbing Designer. His Architectural background has allowed him to serve clients with a keen respect for aesthetics, efficient space planning, and architectural detailing. He enjoys performing detailed load calculations, consulting on building enclosure and building science issues, and aiding in the design of efficient HVAC and plumbing systems.
Ryan graduated Summa Cum Laude from Keene State College in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and is a LEED® Accredited Professional.